U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe: Co-Sponsor the TVPRA

Human trafficking hurts residents of Maine—in 2011 the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888) received nearly 50 calls from the state alone, including calls from Augusta, Belfast, Farmington and Ogunquit.

Today, to prevent human trafficking in Maine and protect those who survive it, ask Senator Snowe to co-sponsor the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. She has supported previous bills and we need your help to encourage her to join the ranks of Senators supporting this vital legislation.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, introduced in 2000, greatly increased America’s efforts to protect victims, assist survivors, improve prevention methods and successfully prosecute traffickers. Even though the TVPA has been reauthorized three times by bipartisan majorities, it was allowed to expire in September of 2011. Below are some of the provisions included in S. 1301 that would better protect victims.

- Encourage the distribution and posting of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline number within federal agencies as well as by states; - Create programs to assist minor victims of sex trafficking through grant programs to states; - Create programs to help foreign governments investigate labor recruitment centers where trafficking victims may be recruited; - Prohibit the provision of peacekeeping operation funds to countries that use child soldiers.

Maine residents are hurt by the scourge of human trafficking and Senator Snowe should demonstrate her support for those victims by co-sponsoring the TVPRA today.